Colleen Kay Hutchins


Colleen Kay Hutchins was Miss America 1952.

Early life

Hutchins was a native of Arcadia, California. Her brother, Mel Hutchins, later became a basketball player for the Milwaukee Hawks, Fort Wayne Pistons, and New York Knicks.

Pageantry

Hutchins was crowned as Brigham Young University's homecoming queen in 1947. In September 1951, she was crowned as Miss America, the first Miss Utah to win the pageant.

Personal life

Hutchins met her future husband at a New York Knicks basketball game at Madison Square Garden after a friend introduced her to the team's forward, Ernie Vandeweghe. The couple married in May 1953. The couple had four children: son, Kiki; daughter, Tauna, son, Bruk; and daughter, Heather. Hutchins is also the grandmother of professional tennis player CoCo Vandeweghe.
She resided, until her death, with her husband in Indian Wells, California, Laguna Beach, California and Palm Springs, California.
Hutchins died on March 24, 2010 in Newport Beach, at age 83.